


You Better Run

by elutherya



Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Deep Sea Diving, M/M, Mermaids, Sea Monsters, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:33:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24781600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elutherya/pseuds/elutherya
Summary: It’s hard not to feel claustrophobic when the only light that Sehyoon can see is from his handheld lamp. He feels like he isn’t even moving, despite the fact that he knows each kick of his feet is propelling him further into the water. A deep breath in and his oxygen tank breaks the silence that feels like it’s been closing down around him for the last little while.
Relationships: Everyone/Everyone
Comments: 8
Kudos: 38





	You Better Run

**Author's Note:**

  * For [knaeve](https://archiveofourown.org/users/knaeve/gifts).



> Happy birthday to my darling. They once prompted me with deep sea divers and monsters they meet on Twitter and I wanted to be able to give them something more.
> 
> It’s been a very long time since I went diving and I’ve never been trained to do a technical dive, so my information is a little rusty. But... it’s all minor details in the end.

It’s hard not to feel claustrophobic when the only light that Sehyoon can see is from his handheld lamp. He feels like he isn’t even moving, despite the fact that he knows each kick of his feet is propelling him further into the water. A deep breath in and his oxygen tank breaks the silence that feels like it’s been closing down around him for the last little while. Even though he’s done this for years, it doesn’t stop the fear from rising up his throat. This deep down, if something goes wrong, there’s nothing anyone can do.

He exhales and bubbles cloud his vision for a moment. The bubbles clear and Sehyoon freezes when he catches the glow of something off in the distance. He slowly kicks his legs, flippers catching in the water to keep him floating in place. He watches as the little glow bobs in front of him and the sight has him quickly wondering if he should start his trek back up to the surface. _Keep calm, keep calm._ It’s a mantra that’s hard to stick to when the unfamiliar sight in front of him has his fear mounting into something he can’t ignore.

The glow darts forward, far too quickly for Sehyoon to react and he startles back when he comes face to face with a boy. He flails, heart thundering in his chest as he scrambles to make sense of what he’s seeing. His light jostles where it’s clutched in his hand and the boy snaps forward to grab it in his hands, fingers far too long and impossible. Sehyoon struggles to catch his breath, struggles to do anything more than jerk back and start his panicked ascent.

The boy zips back up, and Sehyoon catches the shadows of fins and what look like frills along his neck. _Gills, he has gills._ The glow bobs above them, and it’s far too much for Sehyoon to understand. The boy moves back in, presses his face to Sehyoon’s mask and the glow is enough for Sehyoon to see rows of needle sharp teeth as he smiles.

All Sehyoon can hear is his own loud panicked breathing, the sound of his own whimper and the click of noise that he can only assume is coming from the boy floating so easily in front of him.

The boy’s grip on his wrist remains firm and even as Sehyoon tries to pull away, the boy only drags him back in place. There’s a moment of stillness, a moment where Sehyoon thinks he may sit up in his bed and it will all have been some nightmare born of nerves over an upcoming technical dive.

It’s only a moment.

The water picks up in a current of movement and Sehyoon glances down to catch sight of the boy’s strong tail flicking restlessly below them. His grin becomes even sharper and with one flick of his tail, he arches backwards and down, dragging Sehyoon with him.

Sehyoon inhales again and his thoughts twist in a hysterical whorl of noise. _He doesn’t have enough trimix to make it back up if he goes deeper. Trimix isn’t meant for them to dive deeper. He’s going to die of toxicity. He’s going to die. Oh fuck, he’s going to die._

A hundred meters down, he was only meant to go a hundred meters down. He can still hear the gentle noise of the boat above him, sound traveling through the water easily. The people he’d come with are right above him, but there’s nothing any of them can do. Another whimper and Sehyoon kicks his feet, trying to pull himself free of the boy’s grasp, but his long fingers only tighten around his wrist and continues to tug him down.

There’s a blur of motion and Sehyoon squeezes his eyes shut, body going tense and still in fear. A crack and the pressure of the water has him flinching as his mask gives out. His arm wrenches and Sehyoon is helpless as he’s dragged down, down, down.

* * *

“Does it really take this long?”

“Hush, you were out for eight days. He’s only been out for three so far,” the voice is scolding and it’s quickly followed by a loud burst of laughter. The laughter fades into a series of sharp squeals, and Sehyoon cringes as it pierces through the ache sitting at the base of his skull.

“Stop!” The first voice whines on a hiccup, the word clicking oddly. “Junnie! Let me go! I just wanna know.”

“This is the baby's first time seeing it,” a new voice filters in and Sehyoon fights against the pain in his head to open his eyes. “You remember how curious you were about the hunt after your own.”

A squabble of noise and Sehyoon manages to crack his eyes open.

It’s dark, something that he’s grateful for as he goes to push himself up, even if it makes it hard to see anything. His head spins and he can’t help the small noise that it pulls from him as he tries to catch his bearings.

“Oh, Kwannie, he’s up.”

Sehyoon blinks and slowly the world around him comes into focus. Everything is muted, the colours and sounds. Like he’s three hours into a dream and struggling to wake.

Maybe that’s exactly where he is, in that twilight zone between sleeping and waking; because the sight in front of him is just as impossible as the boy who had dragged him down until his chest was tight with agony.

There’s three others, beside the pale blond boy from earlier. They’re pressed tight to each other, hands grazing each other and teeth snapping at fingers.

He wants to laugh, as he takes in the way their bodies twist into the inhuman.

 _Like eels,_ his thoughts supply, as he watches their tails twist together where they’re floating. 

Sehyoon opens his mouth to speak, to ask anything, but the words get caught in his throat. He tries again, but all he can manage is a soft noise that has the boy from earlier snapping his tail and surging forward.

He keeps a distance between them, floating in the water in front of Sehyoon. His eyes are searching as they flick over Sehyoon’s face, but where earlier there had been fear, something in Sehyoon’s chest aches differently now.

All Sehyoon wants to ask is what’s going on, where is he, what are they, but instead all he manages is another small noise.

It’s enough.

“You were lonely,” the boy hums. It’s not an answer, but Sehyoon can tell it’s not everything he has to say. He looks over his shoulder, towards where the other three are floating restlessly around each other and cocks his head. “Is that right?”

“Yes, lonely is the right word,” one of them responds easily, smiling fondly. He manages to get the other two in his arms, their tails winding around him, even as they slap at each other in his hold. He snaps his teeth at the two of them and they go limp, both pouting. Not once do any of their eyes wander, proving to Sehyoon just what kind of scrutiny he’s under as they watch.

“Lonely,” the boy draws the words out and Sehyoon jerks as he takes his face between his hands. His nails prick along the curve of his jaw and it’s shattering to realize he’s not wearing a mask. That he can’t feel the weight of his gear. That when he opens his mouth on a frightened gasp, he inhales water like it’s nothing.

“You were so lonely, I could feel it. It sings.”

The boy pushes forward, and Sehyoon falls backwards, hands scrabbling to brace himself and slipping against an algae slick rock instead.

“Still so lonely,” the boy murmurs, voice so quiet and haunting. Sehyoon’s breath hitches, or a facsimile of breath. _Lonely_ , the words ring true like a bone deep ache. It’s the sound of his last few years and to have someone, _something_ , point it out so plainly has his chest stuttering on a barely contained sob.

“We were all so lonely,” he continues and one of his fingers traces the arch of Sehyoon’s cheek. “She brought you to us.”

“The ocean,” one of the others chirps, as if Sehyoon’s meant to understand what that means.

“Donghun,” the boy whispers and looks away from Sehyoon and over his shoulder. The one with the two trapped under his arms releases them, and with a flick of his tail, darts forward. “The words?”

“Byeongkwan is the ocean’s. He’s hers and he can hear lost souls. Says they’re like songs that sing through the water. You’re just one of those lost souls,” Donghun explains as he comes to rest beside Sehyoon, hand gently reaching out to tap along Sehyoon’s hip. It draws his gaze down, and Sehyoon trembles as he sees the way his skin seems so pale against the scales glittering down his sides. “He brings us to death, and then back to a new life.”

“The three of us were human, once.” A gesture over his shoulder to where the others are floating behind them, eyes rapt.

“Byeongkwan’s going to give you a choice,” Donghun continues, even as Sehyoon tries to keep up with just what he’s saying, fear making him grow cold. “You can swim and survive, joining us and maybe finding a family. Or you can try to hide and well, hiding never leads to surviving.”

Byeongkwan’s hands gently twist Sehyoon’s face back up and locks eyes with him. “You choose to fight and survive, or you don’t.”

They’re strangers, creatures that Sehyoon can’t bring himself to understand, and yet he understands exactly what they’re telling him. 

_Live or die._

Sehyoon’s hands curl against the rock underneath him, tensing in a way that pulls into focus everything that’s different. He exhales, heart rate slowing to something far more manageable and knows exactly what he’s going to choose.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to come talk to me about these boys, possible prompts or anything at all: you can find me over at [twitter](https://twitter.com/Elesteria). I'm always down to chat at new people! You can also find me at [curiouscat](https://t.co/1yfgiUBE0r) if you have any thoughts, prompts or stuff that you're too nervous to say in public.


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